OccultForum.org

Original post: Laal

I fist put this in the cm forum, but was adviced moving it here:



1. How much harm(if any) do you think the effects of smoking has on the practice on pranayama?
I quit smoking cigarettes for about a year ago, but smoke about a joint a day of hashish... but has considered dropping that as well, because of the harm it may do to my practice. I havent noticed any negative effects myself, but then again the effects might be to subtile to be noticed by someone at my level.
PS: I`m not asking for your opinions on the psychological effects of use of drugs on meditation, as i got that figuered out for myself, but strictly on the physical damages of smoking.

2. I was also wandering how long it took others to take the step from doing 20 out 10 in intervals, to 30 out 15 in(this is the pranayama technique suggested by Crowley, and (obviously) the one I use) - and what your experience on this was.
I`ve been doing pranayama more or less daily for about 10 months now. 20/10 is now really easy for me, I can do it as long as my asana lets me, but I`m having problems advancing to 30/15. It is impossible for me to start out by doing 30/15(I can`t even do 2), but I find that after I`ve already done 20/10 for a while(usually this is 20 minutes), I can(in the same session) step up to 30/15 and can usually keep that going for about 5 minutes before I`m completely exhausted.
The problem is it`s been stuck like this for a while, and this is partly why I`ve started to think on the issue above. I just can`t seem to be able to do more tha 5 minutes of 30/15 on a regular basis, and I just can`t seem to be able to do it at all without the warming up of doing 20/10. I managed to do 12 minutes once, but I was back at 5 the next day.

Original post: Jenfucius

This is from the old post. Just for anyone who wants to read up on it.

http://www.occultforums.com/showthread.php?p=86196#post86196

Original post: Son of mr. gordo

[QUOTE=Laal]I fist put this in the cm forum, but was adviced moving it here:



1. How much harm(if any) do you think the effects of smoking has on the practice on pranayama?
I quit smoking cigarettes for about a year ago, but smoke about a joint a day of hashish... but has considered dropping that as well, because of the harm it may do to my practice. I havent noticed any negative effects myself, but then again the effects might be to subtile to be noticed by someone at my level.
PS: I`m not asking for your opinions on the psychological effects of use of drugs on meditation, as i got that figuered out for myself, but strictly on the physical damages of smoking.

2. I was also wandering how long it took others to take the step from doing 20 out 10 in intervals, to 30 out 15 in(this is the pranayama technique suggested by Crowley, and (obviously) the one I use) - and what your experience on this was.
I`ve been doing pranayama more or less daily for about 10 months now. 20/10 is now really easy for me, I can do it as long as my asana lets me, but I`m having problems advancing to 30/15. It is impossible for me to start out by doing 30/15(I can`t even do 2), but I find that after I`ve already done 20/10 for a while(usually this is 20 minutes), I can(in the same session) step up to 30/15 and can usually keep that going for about 5 minutes before I`m completely exhausted.
The problem is it`s been stuck like this for a while, and this is partly why I`ve started to think on the issue above. I just can`t seem to be able to do more tha 5 minutes of 30/15 on a regular basis, and I just can`t seem to be able to do it at all without the warming up of doing 20/10. I managed to do 12 minutes once, but I was back at 5 the next day.[/QUOTE]

Laal,

The purpose of pranayama or chi kung is to increase breath retention and slow down metabolism. This is done to first reach alpha state, and then theta. You need to stop smoking to increase the amount of breath retention you can hold in your lungs....smoking will kick the crap out of your lungs. You can't break through to 30/15 because of the toll that the smoking is taking on you. Your breaths are too short right now, and short breath retention will not allow you to break through the higher levels. When you have short breaths, you won't be able to extend the length of time needed to slowly move into theta state. There are many documented results of yogis showing cardiac cessation going for extended periods without food. This is due to not just their mental health, but physical health as well. Your body is the bedrock for your mind.


Son of mr. gordo

Original post: ward

How about the effects of alcohol on pranayama? A search has come up with a few sites advising completely avoiding both alcohol and smoking but no explanation why. The reasons for not smoking are obvious, but what about alcohol? Any idea?

Original post: Jenfucius

ward;353335 wrote:How about the effects of alcohol on pranayama? A search has come up with a few sites advising completely avoiding both alcohol and smoking but no explanation why. The reasons for not smoking are obvious, but what about alcohol? Any idea?

It may have an effect on the energy field of your body and certainly on your mind. Alcohol does burn up sugars in your body and create hypoglycemia.

Original post: Dionesia La Maga

Actually smokers can (paradoxically perhaps) have a large lung capacity because they automatically may breathe deeply to get a big-enough nicotine dose and penetration but both tobacco and hashish are carcinogenic and damaging to the lungs. You should not overfill the lungs in the interests of reaching some lung- capacity goal. You will damage the air sacks.

I don't know the rationale for Crowley's method although 2:1 breathing is supposed to result in certain brain-wave effects. As an asthmatic who medicated with heroin, which suppresses respiration, it is highly unlikely that Crowley was able to practice what he preached in this matter (although he was a mountaineer at one point, so ... perhaps):whistle:.

I do know about traditional forms of pranayama. Going from 20:10 to 30:15 will only have the effect of increasing lung capacity--but do you want to be a long-distance swimmer or a pearl diver or do you want to be a mage?

You may already know this, but : when you inhale, you need to first fill the lower portion of the lungs (the stomach will bulge out), then the middle and then upper chest but not to strain or overfill (you will damage the lungs if you do this and you will be exhausted instead of energized by the practice). You exhale in reverse order, emptying from the top of the lungs and then, in the end, pulling in the abdomen. to completely empty the lungs.

If you have been doing this 2:1 breath for very many months for prolonged periods of time, you may want to switch to alternate nostril breathing instead of trying to extend the 2:1 ratio, especially if you are seeking some kind of altered state or transformational experience from this work. I wouldn't recommend doing this while you are using hash (unless you happen to be apprenticing with some ash-coated naked Himalayan Tantric yogic adept who can monitor you.)

This breathing technique is not recommended as prolonged practice (you do, maybe 3 to 6 rounds and very gradually increase the length of time spent doing it) because if you are not primed, you potentially can have difficult effects. You inhale through the left nostril for 4 counts, retain the breath for 16 counts and exhale through the right nostril for 8 counts. Then inhale through the right nostril, retain the breath, and exhale through the left, and continue like. You always begin the set with inhalation through the left nostril and always end the set with an exhalation through the left nostril. The 4:16:8 count can gradually be increased to 8:32:16 and you may be able to begin with the longer count because of your established pranayama practice. This can be extended, but again, consider what the goal is in attempting this. Do you intend on going into yogic hibernation?

There are several other valuable pranayama exercises, but let's leave it at this for now.